CA recommends Education chief for confirmation

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Tuesday recommended the confirmation of the apppointment of Education Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro. Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of the CA education committee, told GMANews.TV in a text message that the committee unanimously recommended Luistro to the plenary for confirmation on Wednesday. The CA had earlier deferred Luistro's confirmaton after Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago objected to the secretary's confirmation because of "conflicting interests, gross ignorance of the law, and political deafness." She even threatened to invoke Chapter IV, Section 20 of the CA rules in blocking Luistro's confirmation if he fails to answer satisfactorily the allegations made against him. Section 20 of the CA rules states that any member of the commission may move for the suspension of any nomination or appointment favorably recommended by a standing committee. However, Santiago later on withdrew her objection as "a gesture of courtesy to the incumbent administration. Earlier in the day, the commission's tourism committee likewise recommended the confirmation of Tourism Sec. Alberto Lim. The CA is also set to conduct a hearing on the appointment of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Wednesday. The CA is composed of the Senate president as its head and 12 senators and 12 congressmen as its members. The commission’s duty as mandated by the 1987 Constitution is to confirm appointments made by the President of the Philippines: the heads of the executive departments, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the Amed Forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, except those of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court justices. The CA discusses and deliberates on nominations at the standing committee level and at the plenary session. Nominations or appointments may end up being confirmed, rejected or bypassed. - VVP, GMANews.TV